Letters

LETTERS

March 23, 2003

Transferring after start of school is a problem

The Sun recently reported that public school coaches have become concerned about their student-athletes transferring to private schools after school has started. In the article, some coaches made comments about "raiding our schools" and "stealing our kids," but all the supposed controversy seems to miss the point.

Surely, these coaches cannot be questioning the right of parents to seek the best educational alternatives for their children? Who doesn't do that? And, if a private school wants to offer financial assistance to an athlete, is that not its prerogative?

Even allegations of recruiting, while difficult to substantiate anyway, should not be an issue. Don't private schools effectively recruit all their students?

The only legitimate concern that I see is transferring during a semester, as opposed to before. This is where the comments of parents in this article become suspect.

Yes, you certainly have the right to avail yourselves of educational opportunities presented to you, whatever the reason. But how can you justify waiting until the middle of September before making such a decision?

Transferring in November is even more puzzling. Can't you evaluate the alternatives and make the decision to transfer while school is out for the summer? It would seem that the prohibition of transferring after classes begin at the home school, but allowing them without restriction during the summer, would eliminate the concerns on both sides of this argument.

Bob Wunder Baltimore

D.C. baseball fans are deceived by Selig

How much longer will the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, deceive the fine people of Virginia/Washington, D.C., with the false hope of gaining a baseball franchise?

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that Mr. Selig has already promised Peter Angelos that no baseball team will be placed in the Virginia/Washington area.

Sorry, D.C. baseball fans, but Portland, Ore., will be the next home of the Montreal Expos.

John C. Zaruba Baltimore

Political commentary not needed in sports

From where did The Sun get Laura Vecsey? Is she a sports columnist or a social conscience? On Wednesday, she hit a new low in sports reporting ["It's our duty to make sure that games and life go on"].

Normally, her columns are of little interest to the general sports public, most of whom want to read of the Orioles, Ravens, Terps, etc, rather than whether the Australian swim team is coming to the United States.

That story, in itself, is not too far out, but her political commentary on the merits of the war and who supports us, does not belong in the sports section.

Bob Miller Ellicott City

Lack of motivation led to Terps' ACC loss

Apparently, Gary Williams forgot to take Motivation 101 as an undergraduate at Maryland.

Part of being a good coach is the ability to motivate your players. I, and I'm sure a number of my fellow Terrapin Club members, was a little surprised to hear Williams say that "not winning the ACC tournament wasn't the end of the world."

The players sure responded to their coach's comment because they obviously played like winning wasn't all that important.

Maybe it wasn't the end of the world for the Terps, but their play in the tournament certainly contributed to a sixth seed in the NCAA tournament.

Clay Warrington Earleville

Officiating in ACC leaves a foul odor

Every year, I longingly look to the year I can enjoy the ACC basketball tournament, but with each passing year, the prejudice against non-North Carolina teams deepens.

This year, before the tournament began, I noticed North Carolina teams were matched against non-North Carolina teams, rightly so by seeding. No doubt, though, I told myself, all the North Carolina teams would have fewer total personal fouls than their opponents.

I also made note that Maryland and Georgia Tech most likely would get the brunt of the prejudice due to Maryland being that state's fiercest rival, and that N.C. State needs the win since it was on the NCAA tournament bubble.

Don't call it the ACC tournament. Call it what it is: the North Carolina Invitational Sham.

Dan O'Shea Baltimore

Pro-Carolina bias alive, well in tourney

What a joke the ACC tournament has become. What could have been scripted better than having the four North Carolina teams make it to the semifinals for the 50th year celebration of the ACC?

In 50 years, only five non-Carolina teams have won the tournament. Maryland has made the NCAA Final Four two years in a row, but could not make the final game in the ACC tournament in either year. Can this all be coincidental?